Labor Market Report: CUT Urges Government and Employers to Engage in Evidence-Based Discussions Focused on Decent Work

Original article: Mercado laboral: CUT emplaza al Gobierno y a empresarios a debatir con evidencia y con foco en el empleo decente

The CUT has received the initial diagnostic report on the labor market prepared by the Labor Policy Commission, a body coordinated by the FIEL Foundation along with left-leaning and center-left think tanks in Chile.

The report concludes that the current challenges facing the labor market are deeply structural rather than merely a result of recent labor policies aimed at improving workers’ quality of life.

It emphasizes the need to move towards effective employability policies that take into account the fundamental characteristics of the Chilean economy and its capacity to create jobs.

This report was collaboratively prepared by think tanks including Igualdad, Nodo 21, Chile 21, Fundación por la Democracia, Moebius, ICAL, Rumbo Colectivo, Horizonte Ciudadano, and Centro Democracia y Comunidad. It constitutes the first phase of the work being developed by the Labor Policy Commission and will serve as a foundation for crafting a comprehensive proposal on the labor market from the perspective of workers.

CUT President José Manuel Díaz stated that the diagnosis reflects the reality that workers experience daily across the country. He called on the Government, Labor Minister Tomás Rau, employers, and government officials to engage in a public debate about the labor market situation using data and assessments defined by the reality of the working world.

Díaz warned that promoting practices that undermine job security will only deepen labor insecurity and contribute to the impoverishment of the population, stressing that public policies must be built on the realities faced by workers, based on evidence and dialogue, free of dogmas or positions that prioritize mere statistical employment.

Meanwhile, Antonia Morales, coordinator of the technical team at the FIEL Foundation, explained that the report seeks to challenge the notion that advances in labor rights are responsible for rising unemployment, stating that such claims do not reflect the complexities of the Chilean labor market and do not justify advancing flexibility measures known to be ineffective and harmful to the economy.

The diagnosis proposes seven discussion axes to comprehensively address unemployment issues, including informality and underutilization of the workforce, incorporating aspects such as social security and disparities affecting women, youth, and older persons, as well as the need for policies that respond to technological and demographic changes we face.

With this initial report, the Labor Policy Commission embarks on a new phase of work aimed at developing concrete proposals for labor policy crafted from the experiences, evidence, and needs of workers.

Review a summary of the report HERE (PDF)